As training starts, defence minister says Swedish fighter will set new air force standards
Hungary has taken a major step towards meeting its future NATO commitments with the roll-out last week of its first of 14 Saab Gripen C/D fighters and the start of training activities for its first five pilots.
The Hungarian air force's first single-seat Gripen C was unveiled on 25 January at Saab's Linkoping plant in Sweden, where its next five aircraft are now in build. Five will be delivered to Kecskem‚t airbase in March 2006, with the last to arrive in 2007. "Gripen sets much higher standards for our air force [and] is a formidable deterrent," says defence minister Ferenc Juhasz.
Although the type will achieve full operational capability in 2008, Hungary will declare four Gripens ready for NATO commitments no sooner than 2010, says deputy air force commander Brig Gen Imre Buczko. Operations of its current 14 MiG-29 interceptors will continue until 2010, he says, adding that these are suffering from a shortage of spare parts. Industry sources say Hungary could accelerate its retirement plan and buy more Gripens.
Hungary's aircraft will initially operate with Raytheon's AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missile in the air defence role, with the AIM-120 AMRAAM also on order. Buczko says the service must now find the right balance between air defence, air-to-surface and reconnaissance requirements, and that additional systems will be selected this year.
The fighters are being acquired under a 30-year lease-to-buy deal with Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration. Saab/BAE Systems joint venture Gripen International has now met 40%of a related offset commitment worth Skr2.8 billion ($400 million), it says.
Five instructor pilots started training with Sweden's F7 wing at Satenas airbase last week, with further intakes to follow in 2006-7.
CRAIG HOYLE / LINKOPING
Source: Flight International
